Guy insulator



R. L. JENNER Erm. 2,625,581

GUY INSULATOR Filed July 13, 1949 Jan. 13, 1953 INVENTOR. RALPH L. JENA/ER CARL D. PIERO THE/R ATTORNEY plane at-right angles thereto.

Patented `lan. 13, 1953 GUY INSULATOR Ralph L. Jenner and Carl D. Fiere, Le Roy, N. Y., assignors to Lapp Insulator Company, Inc.. Le Roy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 13, 1949, Serial No. 104,476

(Cl. 17d-208) 9 Claims.

rThe invention relates to strain insulators for guy wires and cables for supporting radio masts and the like, as disclosed, for example, in Figs. l and ll of the patent to Ralph L. Jenner, No. 1,937,964, and in Fig. 2 of the patent to Lapp and Jenner, No. 1,998,549, comprising a body or yoke for attachment to a cable end and mounting a ceramic compression insulator member on which is supported a tension rod, eyebolt, or the like for connection to the adjacent end of the cable. The tension rod in such construction has commonly been supported by a flat shoulder resting on a cap on the insulator member or by some similar connection involving resistance to swinging movement of the bolt. Such wires or cables are subject to Vibration by wind action and vibration by this or any other cause has tended to produce bending of the bolt, in addition to the tension to which it is subjected by the cable connections. Such bending has caused fracture and failure of the bolt and insulator and of the cable to which it is connected and even of the mast supported by the cable. One object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved strain insulator of the above character having a tension bolt which is connected for free swinging movement, without bending, to provide a more durable and efficient type of construction.

Another object is to provide a strain insulator having the above construction and in which the tension bolt is supported by parts having a relative rolling movement on one another in both of two mutually perpendicular directions, so as to allow the bolt to swing with a minimum of frictional resistance to vibrations in the cable to which it is attached, thus relieving the bolt of bending stresses.

A further object is to provide a strain insulator having the above advantages in a simple and practical type of construction capable of being readily manufactured and assembled and of operating durably and reliably for indefinite periods.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a strain insulator embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, central, sectional elevation of portions of the insulator shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but taken on The invention is embodied, in the present instance, in a strain insulator of the variety comprising a cast steel body I0 of generally yoke shape with a central opening II and a means or provision at its upper end, such as a clevis I2, for the attachment of an end of the cable. The yoke is formed at the bottom of opening I I with a socket E3 in which an insulator member I4 is mounted and cemented, as shown. The insulator member I4 is preferably a truncated or frustoconical hollow cone, of porcelain or other ceramic material, provided on its upper end with a metallic cap I5 which may be cemented on the top of the cone, as indicated at I6. This insulator member is preferably of the compression type disclosed in the said patent to Lapp and Jenner, No. 1,998,549. The top of the cap is preferably recessed, as at I'I, to provide at the bottom of the recess an annular shoulder or bearing surface I 8, for a purpose hereafter described.

The tension bolt for attaching the lower end of the insulator to the cable is shown in the present instance as an eyebolt I9 extending upwardly in spaced relation through an opening 20 in the bottom of the yoke, through the hollow insulator member and through the seat I8 of its cap. and means are provided for supporting the upper end of the bolt for substantially frictionless rolling movement on the cap I5 of the insulator member, in each of mutually perpendicular directions. to afford substantially frictionless swinging movement of the bolt on the insulator during vibration of the cable.

Such means comprises, preferably, a steel ring 2| seated on the shoulder formed by the bottom of the recess I1 in the cap, to afford a smooth nat bearing surface for rolling movement of a superposed ring-like part 22. Part 22 has a depending flange 23 adapted to rest on the ring 2l and the lower end of the flange is cylindrically curved on a radius of, say, 8 inches, to provide a curved surface 24 by means of which the ring is supported for substantially frictionless rolling movement in one direction on the bearing surface afforded by the ring 2I. Ring 22 is formed with an upper dat, smooth bearing surface 25, surrounded by an upwardly extending flange 26, for cooperation with a curved bearing surface on a superposed inner ring-like part 21.

Ring part 21 has its upper end formed to provide a cylindrical curved bearing surface 28 adapted for substantially 1 frictionless rolling movement on the bearing surface 25 of the outer ring, in a direction at right angles to the rolling movement of the outer ring 22 on its bearing surface on ring 2I. This angular relation of the curved surfaces of rings 22 and 2 is preferably maintained by an Allen set screw 29 extending through flange 26 of the outer ring into a recess 30 of the inner ring 2l. Inner ring 27 is formed with an upper dat shoulder or bearing surface 3l adapted to support the parts of a split ring 32 tted about 'thetension bolt I9 under its enlarged upper end or head 33. The head of the bolt may be freely inserted upwardly through the described openings in the yoke, insulator member and rings and the parts of the split ring 32 inserted about the bolt under its head and retainedthereon by any suitable wire or other tie member '3 after which the bolt is seated by means ofs'uch split ring on the seat 3l of the inner ring-likepart 2i.

With the parts so assembled and connected in place in a guy cable, the tension of the cable holds them assembled as described. Any vibration of the cable and tension rod i9, as indicated in dot'ted'lin'es in Figs. Zand 3, is accommodated by o rolling-movement of inner'rin'g 2l on outer ring '2'2,"or` by rolling movement of outer ring 22 on the bearing surface of ring 2i of the cap of the insulatormember, or by both movements simultaneously. 'Since the curved bearing surfaces vof the rings '22 vand 2l afford rolling movements each of tvfo directions at rightv angles to. each other, the tension rod is thereby-supported for substantially 'frictionle'sa universal, rocking or sivingi'ng 'movement on the insulator member Hi responseto any vibration inthe cable. Since this swinging'movement of the bolt is substanv'ti'ally''ivith'out frictional resistance, the bolt-is relievedof'substantially all lbending stresses and "thereby adapted for'sub'stantially indefinite and reliable service Vin insulatingthe-tension'wire or cable. The terms Vtension Wire or cable *arev intended in abroad sense as inclusive of any flexible guy support.

vIt `will thus be seenthat .the invention accom- .pli'sh'es its objects and While it has been herein disclosed'by reference tothe details of a preferred embodiment, itis to be understood that such disclosure is intended in 'an illustrative, rather than -aA limiting sense, Yas it is contemplated that various modifications the f construction and arrange- 'ment of the-parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, VWithin the spirit ofthe invention and the `scope of the appended claims.

W e claim: Y Y Y 1. A strain insulator for guy-cablesandthe like,

said insulator comprising a member of insulating other parts-having a pairof cooperating'bearing surfacestherebettveenone of which surfaces in eaeh pair is-curved vrelative -to Vits, 4cooperating surface for rollingniovement relative to and upon said cooperating surface Withv a minimum lofl frictional-resistance in a --direction ati-ight `angles to the relative rollingmovement between thesurfaces of the other ofsaid-pairs of cooperating surfaces. e l

12. A strain-insulator for'guy cables and the like, seid insulator comprisingfamember of insulating material `and having oppositelyextending cable supporting means coextensive` withfsaid -member andeach-attachedto the remote end of l-said Vmember for stressing the same in compression,

one of said supporting means comprising three bearing parts with one of said parts located intermediate and in engagement with the other two of said parts, said intermediate part and each of said other parts having a pair of cooperating bearing surfaces therebetween shaped to provide a Eine bearing and afford relative rocking movement in each pair with a minimum of frictional resistance in a direction at right angles to the relative rocking movement between the surfaces of the other of said pairs of cooperating surfaces.

3. A strain insulator for guy cables and the like, said insulator having cable supporting means comprising an insulator member provided with a bearing surface, a part having a bea-ring surface cooperating with the bearing surface of said member, one of said bearing surfaces being shaped to provide a line bearing on the other of said cooperating surfaces to afford relative rocking movement therebetween in one direction with a minimum of frictional resistance, said part havingw another bearing surface opposite the rst mentioned surface thereof, and another cable supporting means extending through said part andprovided with a bearingsurface cooperating with said other bearing surface of said part, one of said cooperating bearing surfaces of said other cable supporting means and part'being shaped to provide a line bearing on the othery of said cooperating surfaces to afford relative rocking move- Vment therebetween with a minimum of fric-tional resistance in a direction at right angles to the direction of said rolling movement between the surfaces of said part and member.

4. VA strain insulator forv guy cables and the like,

.said insulator having ycable supporting means comprising an insulator member provided with a `one'of-saidcooperating bearing surfacesiof said other cable Asupporting means and part -being curved relative'to the other Vof .said cooperating surfaces for-relative rollingY movement therebetiveen` with a minimum of frictional resistancein a direction at right angles Vto the.direction of Vsaid rolling movement between thesurfaces of vsaid part and member.

5. A strain insulator for guycablesand the like,

'said insulator comprising abody providedV at one end Vwith attaching means, an insulatormember having one end mounted onsaid body, aV bolt at the -Vother end-of said member provided with att ching means, -said bolt extending` through said member adjacent the otheriendthereof, and a universal joint supporting said boltion theother endof said member for-universal rocking movement relative thereto to relieve said bolt o'fbending stresses vdue to cable vibration.

E5. A strain insulator for guy cablesand the like, said insulator comprising avsubstantially yokeshaped body rprovided at vone end with attaching means, avsubstantially conicalinsulator member having one end mounted on said body, a bolt at the other end of said body provided Withfattaching means, said bolt extending throughsaid member adjacent the other end thereof, and a universal joint supporting said bolt on the other end of said member for universal rocking movement relative thereto to relieve said bolt of bending stresses due to cable vibrations.

7. A strain insulator for guy cables and the like, said insulator comprising a body provided at one end with attaching` means, an insulator member having one end mounted on said body, a bolt at the other end of said body provided with attaching means, said bolt extending through said member adjacent the other end thereof, and means for supporting said bolt on the other end ci said member comprising two pairs of cooperating surfaces with one of the surfaces or" each pair curved for rolling movement relative to and on the other surface of the pair in a direction at right angles to the relative rolling movement between the surfaces or" the other pair, to afford universal rocking movement of said bolt on said member with a minimum of irictional resistance for relieving said bolt of bending stresses due to cable vibrations.

8. A strain insulator for guy cables and the like, said insulator comprising a substantially yoke-shaped body provided at one end with attaching means, a substantially conical insulator member having one end mounted on said body provided with attaching means, a bolt at the other end of said body, said bolt extending through said member adjacent the other end thereof, and means for supporting said bolt on the other end of said member comprising two pairs of cooperating surfaces with one of the surfaces of each pair curved for rollingmovement relative to and on the other surface of the pair in a direction at right angles tc the relative rolling movement between the surfaces of the other pair, to aiord universal rocking movement of said bolt on said member with a minimum of frictional resistance for relieving said bolt of bending stresses due to cable vibrations.

9. A strain insulator for guy cables and the like, said insulator comprising a substantially yoke-shaped body provided at one end with attaching means, a substantially conical insulator member having one end mounted on said body and provided adjacent its other end with a bearing surface, a bolt at the other end of said body provided with attaching means, said bolt extending through said member adjacent the other end thereof and being provided with a bearing surface and a ring-like part surrounding said bolt and provided with a bearing surface cooperating with the bearing surface of said bolt, one of said bearing surfaces being curved for relative rolling movement therebetween in one direction with a minimum of frictional resistance, and said part having another bearing surface cooperating with the bearing surface of said member, one of the bearing surfaces of said part and member being curved for relative rolling movement therebetween with a minimum of frictional resistance in a direction at right angles to the direction of rolling movement between said bolt and part.

RALPH L. JENNER. CARL D. FIERO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 372,940 Soden et al. Nov. 8, 1887 1,368,296 Sked Feb. 15, 1921 1,493,054 Steinberger May 6, 1924 1,693,381 Gilchrest Nov. 27, 1928 1,937,964 Jenner Dec. 5, 1933 1,998,549 Lapp et al Apr. 23, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 270,778 Italy Jan. 20, 1930 686,600 Germany Jan. 12, 1940 

